A central theme for the works of many authors is innocence and experience. This is shown in Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere and James Morrow's City of Truth where the protagonists give up their innocence for experience. By breaking innocence the protagonists discover places they never knew existed and, thereby, benefit from the experience that they gain. .
In the novel Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, the protagonist, Richard Mayhew, lives a dull and routine life. That is until one night while strolling the streets of London he finds a strange girl bleeding and decides to help. From then on he becomes exposed to a world he never knew existed. He discovers the true underworld of London in the shadowy crevices of the sewers, rooftops, and subway trains and those that live in this dreary, enigmatic existence. The innocence of his old life is now broken because of the discovery of this new realm. Through the encounters and experiences he faces he finds love, adventure, and himself in the end. Through this we learn that through experience we may be able to grow as people for the better. .
James Morrow's City of Truth is set in a world without lies and falsehoods of any kind. Th people in it have become conditioned to the truth; no matter how brutal it may be. Jack Sperry, the main character, is forced to learn how to lie after his son contracts a rare disease. Jack believes in an experimental theory of healing he comes upon that is based on a placebo-like method where Jack's son is put in an environment where he does not know he is at all ill and through this he should become better. To execute this theory Jack is faced with the conflict of learning how to lie which is forbidden. In his search to find a way to lie Jack comes upon a rebellious group against the government that have attained the art of lying. With their assistance Jack shed's his innocence and learns to lie as well and makes it possible to save his son.
